All Hell Breaks Loose
by bammi1
Summary: What might happen.
1. Chapter 1

All Hell Breaks Loose

"They're not going to like this," Captain Ross said to Kenny Moran, the Chief of Detectives.

"I could not care any less," Moran told him, "especially about him. He's been a royal pain in the ass since day one. I'm telling you, Danny, someday someone's gonna take him out in a body bag. I'd stay out of his wake if I were you."

Ross bristled. "That's my detective you're talking about!"

Moran looked him intently in the eye. "I know damn well who I'm talking about. And I'm warning you—he's trouble. He's going to bring us all down."

"Seems to me that if everything and everyone was on the up and up, there'd be no one to bring down."

Moran glared at him. "'I'm only going to repeat this one time—keep away from him."

Danny Ross took his time getting back to his office. Something about his talk with Moran troubled him. It was no secret that Moran did not like Goren… but that sounded downright ominous. _Hopefully he cools down before Goren pulls his next stunt_, he thought.

"Eames. Can I see you for a moment?" Captain Ross beckoned her into his office, leaving the door open, waiting for her.

"What now?" Alex asked, exasperated. She looked at her partner of almost nine years, Bobby Goren. "Did you….?"

Bobby held his hands up. "Not this time."

She looked at him for one more moment, while he protested any wrong-doing, then got up and went to the office. "Captain…?"

"Sit down, Eames, and relax. It's nothing to worry about. And it's not about your partner. It concerns your vacation"

"My vacation? "she said, puzzled. "But that's not for another two months."

"Yeah, well it seems the Chief has decided to change a few things this year."

"Really?" Already she knew what was coming. "I hope he took into account the fact that I already have reservations with my family for—"

"Well, I'd be forgetting about that. I just spoke with him, and he says you either take your vacation next week, or forget it till next year."

"That son of a bitch! I'll go talk to him myself!"

"No you won't. There's no sense in pissing him off even more. I tried, there's no changing his mind. It's a done deal. As of next week, you're on vacation. I guess if you want you could take it up with your union representative."

"And by the time I do that--What about Goren? Does he go then, too?" She wasn't a bit happy.

"That's another thing. I need him in here now."

Eames stalked out. Coming to her desk, she said angrily, "He wants you in there now! That son of a bitch Moran basically cancelled my vacation with my family. I have to go next week!"

That made Bobby angry too. Getting up, he said, "Bastard! Did the Captain—"

"Yeah, he tried. But it's a done deal. I don't know what my family's gonna say."

Bobby shook his head, and went to the Captain's office, where he started in angrily on the Chief of Detectives. "Why is he doing this to her? The fucker! She deserves her vacation!"

"Goren, sit down. I've talked till I'm blue in the face, he won't change his mind. He damn near threw me out physically."

Bobby was angry, though, for his partner. "He won't throw _me_ out."

"No, he'll do worse. Sit down!"

Reluctantly, Bobby sat down, and waited to hear what the Captain had to say to him.

"You," Ross started, "will not have a vacation this year. He says you've already had enough vacation. Six months of vacation."

"_Unpaid,"_ Goren commented. "And he knows I've got a month built up?"

"He knows," Ross replied sympathically. "And he doesn't care. Like I told Eames, you can take it up with the union, maybe at least get paid for your vacation. Regardless, while Eames is off next week, you'll be working."

Bobby nodded. "And do I get a partner?"

"That's the other thing," Ross added, with not a little trepidation. "He's not giving you a partner. For the most part you'll be on desk duty."

"For the _most part?"_ Bobby repeated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? When I do go out, I don't have a partner?" He was getting more angry by the minute. "He _is _trying to get me killed, isn't he?"

"Goren, that won't happen. At the very least, I'll go with you. Nobody goes without a partner. You know that."

"Sorry, Captain," Bobby said, calming a little. "I do know that. I just don't get the Chief. I swear he's out to get me."

"And I told you before you're sounding paranoid. Don't let him get something else on you."

"Okay, Captain.," Bobby said. Somehow Ross didn't think he'd heard the end of this.

Back in the bullpen, Bobby sat at his desk.

"What'd he tell you?"Alex asked.

"Well, looks like I don't get a vacation. Apparently I used mine while on suspension, according to the Chief."

"Some vacation," Alex said, miffed. "You didn't even get paid. It was nothing but worry and scrambling to make ends meet….that asshole. So you have to work—did he set you up with a partner? Is Bishop coming back?"

'No, he thinks I can do it on my own. Ross said he'd do it, but he really can't…"

"Just don't do anything on your own." She stared at him, knowing full well he wouldn't hesitate to go out by himself. "Promise me!"

"Alright, I promise."

"Bobby, you better."

"Alright. I said I wouldn't, and I won't."

Alex gathered her things. "Well, guess I'll be seeing you in about two weeks."

"Yeah." Bobby still wasn't happy.

"I'll call you, maybe we can get dinner one night, unless we end up going somewhere."

"That'd be great!" Bobby said, a little happier. "But don't stay home from anything on my account."

"I won't. I'll give you a call and let you know what's going on."

"Okay. Whatever you do, just have fun. Maybe you can work something out after all." He gave her a little smile, which made her rotten day a whole lot better. She loved that elusive little smile.

Watching her leave, Bobby sighed. This was going to be a long two weeks..

tbc


	2. Chapter 2

All Hell Breaks Loose Chapter 2

Rated T for language

Alex Eames was not particularly excited about telling her family that their plans for their vacation were kaput. She could just hear her father now---_That sonofabitch! Who the hell is he to decide who goes where and when. Somebody oughta take that bastard apart and put him back together the right way! _She really wasn't up for that; it was bad enough she was so angry about it, she didn't need her family all carrying on about it, too. Especially since there was nothing anyone could do about it.

The drive to her parents' house, which usually seemed to take forever, was over quickly. She had wanted a little more time to think of a way to break the news, but the traffic wouldn't cooperate. There _was _no traffic, and she made every light.

"Couldn't do this again in a million years," she grumbled, pulling in to her parent's driveway.

John Eames met her outside the house.

"'Alex, honey, what is so important that you couldn't tell us over the phone?"

"Let's go inside, Dad, so I only have to do this once. Please?"

"It's not Bobby, is it? He's okay, isn't he?"

"Bobby's fine, Dad." Since she said no more, John just followed her into the house, where her sister Liz waited with her mother, two brothers, and the in-laws. And of course, little Nate.

Nate ran to her and hugged her legs, then looked around. "Where's Uncle Bobby?" he asked, disappointment sounding clearly in his voice.

Despite everything, Nate never failed to make her smile. And she loved that he loved 'Uncle' Bobby so much.

"Uncle Bobby's still working, we'll see him soon, okay?"

Nate pouted, but had no choice but to agree. "Soon, you promise?"

"I promise."

"So, Alex," her brother Jimmy said, "still up for the big birthday cruise? Mandy is still trying to lose weight so she can gain it all back on the cruise!"

Everyone laughed, and Mandy playfully punched her husband. That didn't even get a smile from Alex, and everyone got serious at the look on her face.

"Okay, Lex. What's wrong?" her father asked.

"It's off, Dad!" she blurted. "The whole thing is off. At least for me."

"What? Why?"

"It's the Chief. He changed my vacation to these next two weeks. I'm not going to be able to go when you all go."

"But…" Liz started, "the whole thing was for your birthday! That's why we made the reservations for that time. You said you could get off!"

"I thought I could. I asked for the time a long time ago, and Ross okayed it. It's the damn Chief!"

"But, Lex," her father said. "The tickets are non-refundable. We have to go then, or lose our money. And I can't afford to buy anymore…"

"I know, Dad. You'll just have to go without me," she said, her eyes tearing a little. "I don't want to ruin it for you all."

Her other brother, Tom, chimed in. "Alex, we all know how much you've wanted this, how you and Joe had planned on a cruise at some time. The whole idea was for it to be a birthday gift to you. That's the whole point. If you're not there..."

And her father started his tirade against the Chief. "That sonofabitch…" After they all calmed him down, he said, "Look, Lex, I'll... I'll call the cruise people tomorrow; see if there's anything at all we can do. We'll work something out, somehow. I promise."

"Yeah, don't worry, Alex," the others all said, in their different ways. "Dad will fix it."

Alex nodded. It was nice having a family, someone to share the good with and the bad. She had always been blessed to have such a good family, and she knew it. It made her think of Bobby, who had never had a real family, with no one to count on, not even as a child. She felt really bad for him, but of course she'd never tell him that. He hated pity, and it was also a sore spot with him. Something he never discussed.

But Alex did have her family, and Bobby's situation only made her appreciate them all the more. "Thanks, Dad," she said, hugging him. "Thank you all..."

*****

Bobby was right, these two weeks were going agonizingly slow. He missed Alex, not only as a partner, but as a friend. Somehow, when they were together, the time just seemed to fly. They really did enjoy each other's company.

Her absence didn't affect his work, though, nothing did. About the only time anything had ever affected his work was when his mom died, and at the same time he'd received that devastating news about his parentage. But he'd still plugged on, and in the end it all came together. As usual.

So this was nothing. He was sorry Alex had to take an early vacation, ruining the one she was really looking forward to. But at the same time he was glad she could still get away for a while; that the Chief hadn't just dismissed hers like he did Bobby's. Even though Bobby wasn't going anywhere ( he seldom took vacations) he wished he could get just a few days off, to rest his mind for just a little while. The past couple of years had been horrendous; he had been looking forward to some time off without all the worries. But here he was, sitting at his desk, pretty much chained to it. He abhorred desk duty.

Lately it seemed Major Case was being called out for everything. Some of the detectives griped; a lot of this stuff could go to Missing Persons, or Homicide. A few of the guys even suggested Bobby go out on one of these alone, this stuff was so mundane he wouldn't even need a partner.

"Hey, Goren," one of the guys said upon returning from a case. "There's a car illegally parked over at Central Park. Looks like it'll come back to us--- you wanna handle this one?" Everyone laughed, even Bobby. It was totally ridiculous. But Bobby actually did wonder about it, all these call outs. At this rate, there was no doubt his desk riding days would be over, and just in time. A few more days of paper work and he'd be certifiably nuts.

*****

Chief of Detectives Kenny Moran had called a special meeting between himself and Ross, and Danny did bring up their current situation.

"Isn't this stuff better handled by other departments?" he asked. "And leave Major Case to do what it does best?"

Moran didn't like to be second-guessed. "As long as your guys aren't busy, no reason they can't take some pressure off the other departments."

"Yeah, I get that. But the only guy I got left now is Goren."

"So, he's your number one guy, right? Something big comes up, put him on it."

"You didn't provide him with a partner," Ross reminded him.

"And I won't, not until it becomes necessary. It's the budget, all the departments have to cut back; you're not the only one."

"I don't consider leaving a detective without a partner budget-cutting. I call it stupid and dangerous."

"Watch it, Danny, you're treading on dangerous ground… you want to be careful here…"

Ross was about to argue some more when the phone rang.

"Excuse me, Danny," Moran said. "Do you mind waiting outside for a minute?"

Ross got up and left the office, pacing irritably in the outer room. _Christ I feel like Goren now,_ he thought.

Moran soon returned and opened the door. "Come in, Danny. We've got a problem."

Ross frowned. "What is it?"

"Some dock workers found a body, down by the East River. They think it's that foreign diplomat, the one who—"

"I know who you mean. And you want…?"

"Goren. Well, the brass does. They want the best, and since you claim he's your best—"

"I'm _not _sending him out alone!"

Moran glared at him. "You'll send him if I say you do!" After a moment, he said, "Look, just send him, let him get started. Then after you leave here, you can hook him up with someone. Hopefully someone who can curb his enthusiasm a little." He never missed a chance to put Goren down. "We won't be here much longer, a few minutes maybe..."

Knowing that Goren and Eames were often called at home, and they didn't always get there at the same time, Danny agreed. "A few minutes?"

"Yes. Call him."

Danny pulled out his cell phone and called Bobby. He gave him the details, then said, "Goren, I'll meet you there in a bit."

Moran was startled. _Danny? Joining Goren?_

"_You don't have to, Captain—I can take care of myself," _Bobby told him_._

"I know you can, Goren. But I'll be there anyway. Go ahead and get started."

"_Okay, Captain." _Bobby hung up the phone. Although Bobby really did feel that he could take care of himself, it was kind of nice to know that Ross cared. If there was one thing missing from Bobby's life, it was a feeling of never having anyone who cared about him, who gave a damn about what happened to him. The only person who really cared about him, and for the right reasons, was Alex. Bobby grabbed his binder, and headed out, thankful to get away from his desk.

"Alright, Chief, what else?" Ross said, trying to hurry things up.

"Okay, it's about the budget. I have orders to cut costs in every department—"

"Can't this wait?" Ross demanded. "I just sent my detective—"

"No, _you_ can wait," Moran said angily. "This meeting is over when I say it is!"

"This meeting is just plain over," Ross said evenly. "I'm joining my partner on a case."

He started for the door, and Moran tried to stop him.

"Ross! I'm ordering you to get back here, now! Ross!"

As Ross kept walking, Moran grabbed his phone, dialing quickly. A minute later he threw it against the wall. He really hadn't planned on Danny getting involved in this. He had only planned on Goren. "FUCK!!"

The wheels were spinning in motion, and there was no stopping them now.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

All Hell Breaks Loose Chapter 3

Bobby had mixed emotions while driving to the crime scene. On the one hand, he was feeling pretty good about Ross, who was making sure he had Bobby's back. But there was always a bit of sadness walking into a crime scene, knowing that at least one person had lost their life. This was one of the drawbacks to the job, and also one of the reasons Goren was such a good detective--- seeing a person lying dead made Bobby all the more determined to get the killers off the street.

Arriving at the warehouse on the docks, Bobby noticed there wasn't a lot of action—no media to record the event, and only a handful of cops. Something about this didn't set right by him, and he questioned one of the few cops on the scene.

The cop just shrugged. "You just happened to get here first. As for the rest, all I know is, someone said they're keepin' the media out of it."

Bobby frowned, but nodded.

"He's right in there," the cop said, indicating the victim. Bobby started for the door to the warehouse, when a voice behind him called out.

"Goren!"

Bobby turned around to see Ross, and waited, while Ross hurried to catch up.

"Captain, you didn't have to—"

"I know that, and I told you that I'd never let a detective go on a case by himself."

"I appreciate that, Captain."

"Well, let's get in there, you can do your thing."

Bobby couldn't help that beautiful little smile from appearing. Ross had sure changed in the last year or so. He finally appreciated Bobby. Appreciated Bobby's abilities, his intuition, his intelligence, his solve rate. Bobby made _him_ look good; who wouldn't appreciate that? And he'd learned to look the other way when Bobby's methods didn't mesh with his own. Well, most of the time, anyway. No doubt about it, Ross had really learned the true value of Bobby Goren.

The warehouse was full of crates and boxes. Bobby pointed out the body across the floor, nearly hidden by one of the boxes, all the while quickly taking in everything in the room. Something just did not set right.

"What the hell was he doing down here anyway?" Ross wondered.

"Captain, I think we—" Bobby started to answer, when someone stepped out from behind a large crate.

"Hey, Goren!"

Bobby turned sharply, to face a member of the Luccieso family, dressed in a policeman's uniform and wielding a semi-automatic. Another man, dressed the same, came out to their right, slightly behind them.

"The Chief says hi."

With that, the men started shooting. Bobby found himself falling, as the most unbelievable pain seemed to erupt all over his body. He went down hard. He had enough adrenaline in his system to pull his own weapon and shoot. He had the satisfaction of knowing he at least winged one of them, earning him another quick and off-balance bullet, this one hitting him in the leg, shattering the bone. That one did him in. He tried another shot, but didn't have the strength to pull the trigger. The blood slicked gun slipped from his grasp.

The two "policemen" took off, one hobbling frantically after that one bullet of Bobby's got him. His partner helped him out quickly.

Bobby, though in horrible pain, looked around for Ross. Ross was down, too. Between the two of them, it was a bloodbath. Both lie on the floor in a pool of blood, Goren's and Ross' blood intermingling. Both were still conscious, in incredible pain. The two men stared at each other for a moment, then Bobby tried to crawl over to Danny. Danny slowly reached his hand out to Bobby.

Bobby's eyes were watering badly, he could hardly see, and the more he tried to move to Danny, the more blood he lost, and the more pain he was in. His crawling was incredibly slow; his wounds felt as though they were on fire. After what seemed an interminable amount of time, he reached Danny and collapsed, his hand falling on Ross's.

"Bob—by," Ross barely managed to say his name.

"C—Cap…" Bobby managed back. "It…It's…o—kay."

Ross tried to nod, but didn't have the strength. Then he lapsed into unconsciousness. Seconds later, Bobby did the same.

At the same time as this was happening, the cops outside came rushing in.

"Holy shit!" one exclaimed. Two of them started looking for the shooters, running out of the warehouse. Another grabbed out his cell, calling for help, giving their location, and shouting, "I need two buses, now! I've got officers down! I repeat, officers down!!" Then they tended to Goren and Ross, checking for a pulse, and doing anything they could do. The two men were bleeding profusely, and the officers tried to stop the flow.

"Fuck, man, there's barely a pulse between the two of them!"

The ambulance and more police seemed to take forever, but it was actually only minutes before they all arrived. Seeing the dire situation, they very quickly readied them for transport, and moments later they were speeding off to the hospital, sirens wailing.

Despite their speed, there was a good chance one or the other would not make it.

0O0

Alex Eames was still at her parents' house, electing to stay there while the new vacation arrangements were worked out. It was a good opportunity to just be with her family, all of them, each taking pleasure in the other's company. Nate and Alex's sister Liz also stayed, and her brothers and their families popped in all the time. Alex was actually enjoying herself. Maybe she needed this time after all.

She thought of Bobby, still working, and wished he could be here, too. Or anywhere but at work. The guy really needed some time to reorganize his life, and just relax and take things easy for a while. Anyway, she'd give him a call later, maybe he could join them for one of her mother's famous family-style chicken dinners. Right now, though, she was on the porch, engaged in a 'rousing' game of "Chutes and Ladders" with Nate and her father. Then her cell phone rang. _Maybe that's him now,_ she thought.

She looked at the caller ID, and sighed... It was Jefferies. Frowning, she flipped it open. They better not be calling her in now, not when her father had just about finished finagling the new dates for the cruise. Vaguely, she wondered why it was Jefferies, though, and not Bobby or Ross calling.

"Eames."

"Uh, Alex?"

"Yes?"

"This is Jefferies."

_I know that._ Alex thought, rolling her eyes. _Get to the point._ She didn't' say anything, though, waiting for Jefferies to continue.

"Um, Alex…I…uh, you need to get to the hospital. Mount Sinai."

A knot formed in Alex's stomach.

"What? Why? Is it something with Bobby?"

"Yeah. Bobby _and_ the Cap. They were… both shot…"

"Oh, God!" she whispered. "What happened?" Already she was running to her car, with Little Nate chasing her, followed by her father.

"What is it, Alex?" John asked, already knowing there was trouble.

"How…how bad is it?" Alex looked intently at her father, who was taking in every word.

"It's bad," Jeffries said. "Real bad. From what I hear, they were shot numerous times."

"But… they're gonna make it, right?"

When Jeffries didn't answer, Alex dropped her phone and covered her eyes. "God…NO!"

Nate kept pulling on her shirt. "Aunt Alex! Aunt Alex! What's wrong? Why you crying?"

John Eames knelt down by his grandson, and picked up the phone Alex had dropped. "Nate, I need you to go in the house, and get your mother. Tell her I need her, now! Run!"

Nate scampered into the house, while John gathered Alex in his arms. "It's Bobby, isn't it?"

Alex couldn't talk, the lump in her throat nearly choking her, but she nodded.

"Get in the car, honey. I'm driving." Then he said into the phone, "We're on our way." As John got Alex quickly into the car, and himself into the driver's seat, Nate and Liz came running out.

"What is it, Dad?" Liz asked, terrified of what she would hear. Seeing Alex in the front seat, her hands still covering her eyes, she knew.

"Tell your mother I'm taking Alex to Mount Sinai." He mouthed the word 'Bobby' so Nate wouldn't know. "Apparently, it's not looking good."

Liz's hand flew to her mouth. She tried to muffle her gasp, not wishing to scare her son. "O—Okay, Dad."

"I'll call you," John told her, pulling out onto the street.

Liz took Nate by the hand and watched as her father and Alex left. She had no idea what to tell Nate.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 4

John Eames pulled up to the hospital doors, letting Alex out. She didn't have the patience to wait while they found a parking space.

"Go on in, honey. I'll find a place to park, then join you." As Alex stepped out, John stopped her. "He's going to be alright, Alex."

Alex nodded, then practically ran into the hospital.

It was like a three ring circus inside the hospital. All kinds of police personnel were there, including the Chief of Detectives and the Police Commissioner, along with more than a few detectives from the Major Case Squad. Most of them were milling around, nobody knew where to go, or what to do.

With a start, Alex recognized Captain Ross's ex-wife, and his two young sons, Daniel and Charlie. And off to the side, by herself, stood Elizabeth Rodgers, the medical examiner. Alex knew Elizabeth had a stake in this, too.

The Chief was working the crowd, looking very concerned. To a few specific people, he'd say something callous concerning Bobby. To Mrs. Ross, he said, "Too bad Danny didn't listen to me. I told him a long time ago that Goren was trouble. And now you see..."

Mrs. Ross stared at him. "The man is in surgery," she whispered, "fighting for his life. It wasn't his fault…"

"I'm just saying…he wouldn't be in this situation--"

Mrs. Ross turned away from him, putting her arms around her sons.

Alex stood there numbly, staring at the doors where the doctors would come, almost afraid to move. A few detectives gathered round her in support.

"Is there any word yet?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Martinelli told her. "I just know they need blood, and a lot of guys are offering."

Tears filled Alex's eyes, grateful that so many were offering whatever they could, including their own blood, for Bobby and the Captain. "Thanks," she whispered. She could barely get the words out. "Tell them thank you..."

A few minutes later, John Eames joined them. He too, asked if they knew anything. Alex shook her head, then said, "Mrs. Ross, I need to speak to her."

John took her arm, and led her over to Danny's ex-wife, Trisha Ross. Seeing Alex, she hugged her, and cried. The two women just held each other for a moment. "They're gonna make it, Mrs. Ross," Alex told her, despite her own fear. Trisha looked at her, nodding, trying hard to believe her, trusting her. She had to.

Danny Ross' two boys were very different in the way they reacted to their father's shooting. The younger one, Charlie, was antsy and anxious. Every few minutes he'd say, "Why don't they hurry up? Why did Dad get shot? Is he gonna be okay?" And the older one, Daniel, stood against the wall, arms folded over his chest, very angry. In his anger, he'd say to anyone who'd listen, "I'm gonna kill those guys that shot my dad!" They'd never been through this before; in their eyes their dad was invincible, so tough. They could not conceive of their father even _being_ in a hospital, let alone be seriously injured. And from bullets, yet. In an effort to relieve his sons of constant worrying about him, Danny had told them he was rarely in the fied, rarely in any danger. And now this.

Chief of Detectives Kenny Moran, along with the commissioner, made his way over to Alex. He put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her in close. "I'm sorry, Alex," he said soothingly. But Alex jerked away from him, surprising those standing near, surprising herself in her own anger. If looks could kill, Moran would be the one shot. She was about to go off on him, when Rodgers came up to her.

"C'mon, Alex," Elizabeth said, and she and John led Alex back to the other Major Case detectives.

Standing with the commissioner, Moran said, "She's understandably upset," in an effort to avoid embarrassment.

"Not now, Kenny," the commissioner said. Right now, Moran's embarrassment was the last thing on anyone's mind.

Alex was furious. "How dare he act like he cares?" she said. "He has done nothing but make Bobby's life hell from day one! That son of a bitch!"

"Calm down, Alex," her father cautioned. He glanced at Mrs. Ross. And in deference to the Rosses, she said no more. For now.

000

The hours drug on, each group basically sitting in their own corners, waiting for any word. It was like old home week, almost everyone who knew Bobby and Ross showed up. Elizabeth Rodgers and Alex sat together, holding each other's hand, in comfort and support of each other. Mike Logan and James Deakins showed up, and Mike kept everyone supplied with coffee during the long wait.

Logan and Deakins spoke to some of the other detectives. "So what happened?" Deakins asked quietly.

"We're not really sure. Some of the cops on the scene said as soon as Goren and Ross went into the building, they heard shots ring out. There had to be more than one perp by the number of shots. By the time the cops got into the building they said it looked like all hell had broke loose. Goren and Ross were lying in each other's blood on the floor."

Deakins winced, and the man continued. "Bobby apparently got a shot off, and hit one of 'em. They said it just looked really bad. They were both bleeding so bad they didn't know who was hurt the worst, or where the wounds were; there was just so much blood… All I know is, they're both in bad shape." Mike and Deakins thanked them, and went back to join the others.

"What did they say?" Alex wanted to know, and Elizabeth looked up expectantly. Neither Deakins nor Mike wanted to say how bad it really was, but at the same time did not want to give them false hope.

"They're both bad, honey," Deakins told her softly.

"I guess," Logan said, "if you're a religious person, this would be a good time to pray."

Alex shook her head, refusing to give up. "They are going to make it!" she said stoically. "They are going to make it! I know they are!"

More than anything, Elizabeth Rodgers wished she could be in there with them. Once she saw their injuries, she'd know, or at least have a very good idea of their condition.

And once again, they all settled back and played the waiting game.

0o0

Two hours later, the phone in the waiting room rang, causing nearly everyone to jump, and was picked up immediately by the volunteer sitting at the desk.

"Mrs. Ross?" she asked. "Mrs. Ross, the doctor will be out in a moment to speak to you."

Trisha Ross stood up, visibly shaking. Her brother and two sons stood with her. Trisha couldn't stop shaking. The other occupants of the waiting room all became very quiet, anxious to hear the fate of their captain and friend.

A few minutes later a youthful looking doctor in green scrubs entered the waiting room.

"Mrs. Ross?"

"Y….Yes…?"

"Mrs. Ross, I'm Doctor Maller…I'm _terribly _sorry to tell you… your husband didn't make it. We did everything we could."

"Ohhh…" Trisha collapsed, her brother catching and supporting her.

"NO!" Daniel yelled, loudly and angrily. "NO! My dad is not dead! NO!" He started for the doors the doctor had just come through, but was stopped by other family members.

"Daniel, don't—"

"No! He's lying!" Daniel yelled hysterically. "Dad did not die! He's lying! He's lying!" Then Daniel broke down, and another uncle took him in his arms and comforted the sobbing boy. Charlie watched all this, momentarily not fully comprehending what he'd just seen and heard. Then he, too, was crying, and was Trisha and Daniel brought into the fold.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the words of Doctor Maller, both Alex and Elizabeth gasped, and Elizabeth sank down onto a chair. Alex sat next to her, hugging her, and she and Elizabeth cried together.

Everyone in the waiting room was shocked… A police captain killed, another cop still fighting…. this was impossible.

The waiting room became uncomfortably silent, the only sounds coming from the family of Captain Danny Ross, who all stood together, hugging each other and weeping uncontrollably, and the two women who cried softly off to the side.

Chief of Detectives Kenny Moran stood there in shock. He certainly had not figured on this. He had planned on Goren, not Ross… _Oh my God,_ he thought, O_h my God…_

And there was still no word on Bobby.

tbc


	5. Chapter 5

All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 5

R- for language.

It was over for the Rosses. Trisha Ross' brothers insisted on taking her and her devastated young sons home. Extremely upset, and wanting her sons away from all this horror, she agreed. But first she had to speak to Alex, who had come over to tell Trisha how very sorry she was.

Trisha hugged her, still crying, and told her, "Alex… please let me know about Bobby… I know how much Danny thought of him…"

Alex was a little surprised, although she did know that Ross' attitude towards Bobby had changed in the last few months. But if Ross had told his _ex_-wife that… well that just made everything even sadder. "I… I will…" Alex said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

After the Ross family left, things became quiet again. The Rosses weren't the only ones devastated; everyone was, with one exception, the Chief of D's. Danny Ross was an excellent captain, and had been well liked and respected by virtually everyone. _Too bad you_ _had to get it, too, Danny, _the Chief thought. _But_ _I warned you he was trouble, dammit. All I can say is that fucker Goren better be dead, too. I didn't go through all this for that bastard to pull__ through._ Then a thought occurred to him. If those fucking idiots relayed his message, and Goren does pulls through… well that was something he needed to think about, a lot. This could be a real problem.

He made his rounds in the waiting room, making sure he was seen consoling the family and friends of the Captain and Bobby, offering his help, and anything he could do. Basically playing the part.

* * *

Alex felt very sorry for Elizabeth, who had virtually been ignored throughout the proceedings. As the new girlfriend, she really had no claim on Ross, not like his ex and his sons. She was the odd woman out. But those who knew her understood her pain, and supported her. Alex made a point of sitting with her for a while, and comforting her.

After the Rosses left, nearly everyone else stayed to wait for news of Bobby. That made Alex feel a little better. Word had gotten out to the police community, but hardly any of Bobby's personal friends, including Lewis, knew what had happened. Mike Logan made a point to inform them.

Knowing what had happened to Danny now made the waiting all the worse. Rumors had been flying that Bobby had taken more bullets than Ross. How that got started no one knew, but supposedly it was true. And since Ross had succumbed to his injuries… where did that leave Bobby?

Alex paced back and forth, making Deakins smile a little. She reminded him a little of Bobby. Then the smile faded. He didn't want to be "reminded" of Bobby, to have little things here and there constantly _remind _him of Bobby, like he was already dead. He wanted Bobby here to do all those little things himself. _God, how could this have happened?_

So the day had long gone, and it was well into the night. Nerves were stretched to the breaking point when the phone finally rang again. Everyone jumped.

"For Robert Goren?" the volunteer asked.

"Uh… I am… " Alex said nervously.

"The doctor will be here in a moment."

Alex grabbed onto her father's arm, holding on so tight she practically drew blood. John was so nervous himself he hardly felt it.

Soon an older doctor in scrubs came out. He had apparently tried to clean up a little, but the scrubs were still blood stained.

"For Mr. Goren?"

"H---Here," Alex said shakily.

"I'm Dr. Bushe." The doctor stretched out his hand, which Alex took. He put his other hand over hers, a kindly gesture which Alex took badly.

She shook her head. _NO……._

"No, no," the doctor said, seeing the panic on her face. "Mr. Goren made it through the surgery."

Alex nearly collapsed over the goodnews. "Thank God!" she whispered, something that practically every else said under their breath. Mike Logan, along with a few others, released a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding.

John Eames was the one who voiced what no one else would. "There is a 'but' here, though, isn't there?"

"Unfortunately, there is," Dr. Bushe told them. "I'm going to give you the facts. Mr. Goren has had a rough time of it. Very rough. He took four bullets, one of which was and is, life threatening."

"What exactly are his injuries, Doctor?" John asked.

"One of the bullets hit him at an odd angle and passed through his stomach and out his back. That is the injury we are most concerned with. We can only thank God that the paramedics performed such good emergency care and got him to the hospital so quickly. We are extremely lucky that it didn't involve other organs. It was clean, with no viscera involved. Straight through., He is on a resirator, and the strongest antibiotics we have. But even with all that, there's still the possibility he may not make it. Persons shot in the stomach… well, that kind of injury has one of the highest mortality rates, and is also one of the most painful."

Alex and John looked at each other, they knew about stomach wounds. That was what killed Joe. John listened intently; he wanted to make sure he knew all the details, and could later explain this to Alex, who suddenly looked like she might get sick and might not remember anything that the doctor said.

"Another one hit him in the upper back, lodging in the shoulder. Another hit him in the leg, and breaking the bone just above his knee, and exited. Another grazed him in the side, taking out a small chunk of skin. There's a very good chance he could pull through. All told, should Mr. Goren survive, he's going to be in a world of pain for a while. But from what I've heard, and what I've seen, he is a fighter, and that is definitely in his favor."

Those last words gave Alex a little bit of hope. Bobby really was a fighter. "Can… can I see him?" Alex asked.

"He's been taken to recovery, where he'll stay for a few hours. Then they'll move him to intensive care. Once he's settled, you may see him. Just for a few minutes. He needs to rest as much as possible."

Alex nodded. "You'll let me—"

"A nurse will come and get you."

"Thank you, Doctor Bushe, for everything…"

"Just remember, he's been through a lot, and his body has sustained a lot of damage. There's a few tubes attached to him, along with the respirator, and he's very pale. It won't be easy seeing him like that."

John nodded; he didn't expect it would be.

Alex, John, Deakins and Logan all went back and sat down again. Some of the other detectives and associates, knowing Bobby had at least made it through the surgery, decided to go home. They stopped by to talk to and say good-bye.

"Let us know if anything changes, Alex."

"I will. Thanks again… and for... donating."

"It was no problem, Alex. Remember, he _is _one of us."

Hearing those words made a small lump form in her throat, and tells welled up in her eyes. "Thanks," she said softly.

After most of the others had left, everyone got quiet again. A feeling of helplessness fell on the small group. Bobby was in there struggling for his life, and there was not a damn thing they could do to help him.

* * *

Two orderlies and a nurse, Carla, brought Bobby to the Intensive Care Unit, and moved him as gently and carefully as they could into his bed.

_Bobby lingered in a sort of numbing twilight. He wasn't totally unconscious, yet he couldn't seem to wake up. He felt as though there was a dark wet blanket wrapped around his head. His body hurt, all over. Not a shrill sharp pain, but an all-over constant agonizing pain. He felt his body being manipulated, and the all-over pain seemed to hurt even more, coming at him from all sides. He had never in his life felt this kind of pain. As the manipulation of his body increased, so did the intense pain… then total blackness enveloped him._

"I'm so sorry, honey," Carla told him. "I know that hurts ungodly." She finished adjusting him and checking his meds in the IV.

The orderlies looked on, waiting to see if the nurse needed them anymore. "Think he's gonna make it?" one asked.

She stared at Bobby for a moment. "I don't know. Those bullets tore him up pretty bad."

"I hate this. Watching people die. And for no good reason."

"Is there ever a good reason to die?"

"You know what I mean. This guy's a cop, for God's sake! The other guy who died was a cop. Ya know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I do. But let's not give up on this one yet. He's still hanging in there."

* * *

Carla came out and spoke to the small group. "Mr. Goren is in his room now. You can go in and see him now, but only two at a time, and just for a few minutes. "

Alex, John, Deakins and Logan glanced at each other. Then Deakins said, "You go on, Alex, you and John. We'll wait..."

"Okay," Alex said, and found herself trembling. She and her father walked down the hall. Outside the door, they hesitated. Alex looked at her Dad, took a deep breath, and together they entered the ICU.

Alex gasped, and her father held onto her. She recovered quickly, and slowly moved closer to Bobby. Just as the doctor said, Bobby did not look like himself at all. He was so pale, nearly as pale as the sheets surrounding him. She could only see one of his injuries; there was a huge bandage near his shoulder. The rest of him was covered with a sheet. She could see where the other injuries were, though, by the bulges raising the sheet from thick bandages. One was in the stomach area—she knew that was the bad one. And that really scared her. Another was his right leg, which seemed huge with the bandages and the temporary open cast. She could just barely see the place where he was hit in his side. He was very, very still. She could barely see the subtle movement of his chest as it moved with every breath. But he _was _breathing, and for that she was extremely grateful.

"Alex, sit down," John whispered, as he pulled a chair up close to Bobby's bed. Alex sat down, and took Bobby's hand. He softly moaned, and she pulled back a little, scared that somehow that had hurt him. John watched as Alex spoke quietly to her partner.

"Bobby," she said, so softly that John could just make out what she said, "I don't know if you can hear me… please, Bobby, know that we all love you…. And we're all counting on you to make it, Bobby." She took his hand again, and stroked it very gently, then kissed it. "Please make it, Bobby… please." Now the tears rolled down her cheeks and onto his hand and the sheet. "I love you, Bobby. Please know that."

_Bobby moaned again, but still couldn't wake up. If anything, the wet blanket seemed to tighten around his head. He had no idea where he was, or why he was here. Or even if he was alive. He could hear voices, but couldn't make out any words. He panicked a little, causing him to move, and more pain enveloped him. Oh God! He had to be alive; it couldn't hurt this much to be dead. He wanted that blackness again, to be surrounded by it, encased in it, anything to get rid of this agony. And when the blackness came, he welcomed it. _

tbc

A/N I did a little research on this, but found it hard to get the exact answers to my questions. This is as accurate as I could get it.

And although the best of friends, the relationship between Bobby and Alex in this story is strictly platonic.


	6. Chapter 6

All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 6

A/N In this story Mike Logan is still with Major Case.

It had been a long night. Doctor Bushe had told them, finally, that Bobby had a good chance of surviving, _if_ he made it through the first 48 hours. And even then it wasn't a given. Anything could still go wrong.

John Eames suggested that Alex go back to his house for the night. Alex, of course, refused.

"Honey," he told her, "you're going to need to keep your strength up. This is going to be a very rough week. Bobby's going to be here for a long time, and then there'll be a funeral for Captain Ross—"

Alex broke down again at the mention of a funeral for Captain Ross. That made it all seem so real. Logan and Deakins hung their heads. All of them, including Bobby, had attended police funerals before, and it wasn't easy. They all just hoped they wouldn't be attending one for Bobby, too. None of them thought they could make it through two funerals. The one for Ross would be hard enough.

"Alex," Mike said, "You really should go home. I guarantee Bobby is not going to wake up tonight."

"And even if he would," Deakins continued, "they'll probably just knock him right back out again. Listen to your dad. It's going to be a tough week, for everybody. Especially Bobby. You want to be there for him when he does wake up, right?"

Alex nodded through her tears. "But what if he does wake up, and no one is here for him?"

Mike answered that one. "Alex, even if he would wake up, I can pretty much assure you he's not going to know or care who's here. He'll be in a lot of pain, and be pretty much out of it, and like Jimmy says, they'll just knock him right back out." Mike didn't need to tell her just how much pain Bobby really would be in.

Between the three of them, they finally convinced Alex to go home just for a few hours. So John and Alex started out, then Alex turned around.

"What about you two?"

"We thought maybe we'd wait it out for a few more hours. When you get back, we'll take off," Logan said.

"Okay," Alex said. "Just... please call me if he wakes up." She really was tired. If she hadn't been so tired she would have understood why they insisted on staying. So, she figured she'd go home, sleep for about two hours, get a shower and be back. "See you in about three or four hours."

Behind her, John Eames shook his head. He'd try to convince her to stay in bed a little longer.

* * *

After John and Alex left, Mike Logan and Jimmy Deakins sat quietly outside Bobby's room.

"So what do you want to do?" Mike asked.

Deakins was now part owner of a security company, and there was no doubt what he wanted to do. "I'm going to bring in some of my guys to watch him."

Mike nodded. "That'll probably be best. There's no way to know who the hell's involved in this. And this was definitely a hit."

"No doubt about that. Until the investigation is over, and we know something, he's not safe."

"We can't trust anybody," Mike cautioned.

"I know, and we won't."

"But we can't stop it if the commissioner or the chief wants to bring in their own guys. I'm sure they're just as worried as us, but with nobody knowing who the hit men are…"

"Well, they can't keep my guys out, either, so long as the family requests them. And since Alex is his proxy, that won't be a problem."

"And I'll be spending a lot of time here myself," Mike said firmly. He went in and sat by his unconscious friend, watching the imperceptible rise and fall of Bobby's chest. "Sure wish you could talk, Goren. And let us know just who did this to you. And I swear, Bobby, I'm going to get them."

Bobby didn't even stir.

* * *

Alex and John Eames returned to his house in the early morning hours. They were expecting everyone to be asleep, but instead found just the opposite. The entire household was up, waiting for them to return. Just then, to the surprise of everyone, little Nate came tearing out of the bedroom. Everyone thought he had been asleep, but the little boy had waited, watching out his window, for the return of his Grandpa, Aunt Alex, and Uncle Bobby.

Nate ran to Alex, hugging her around her legs. She stroked his hair as he looked up at her. "Aunt Alex, where's Uncle Bobby? I thought you was bringin' him here? When is Uncle Bobby coming back?"

Everything right now was so emotional. A lump caught in Alex's throat at just the thought of how much Nate loved Bobby, that he could possibly lose his hero…

John picked him up. "Nate, Uncle Bobby is sick, and is in the hospital. He wont be coming here for at least a few weeks. Why don't we put you back in bed now—"

"But why is he so sick? And why is Aunt Alex crying?"

"Let's go to bed, Nate, and we'll talk in the morning, okay? Uncle Bobby will be okay, it's going to take a little while, though. But you be a good boy, and don't give your mom or Aunt Alex too much trouble. Uncle Bobby would want you to do that. Now go to sleep, okay?" He gave his grandson a kiss, and put him in his bed.

"Okay, Grandpa, g'night." It didn't take long for the little guy to fall asleep.

Out in the family room. Alex said numbly,"Captain Ross… he died."

"C'mon, Alex, you need to get to bed, so you can get back to Bobby," John told her.

"I'll help you, honey," her mother said, and led her off to her room. Then John gave his family all the sordid details.

* * *

Despite being exhausted, Alex could hardly sleep, and when she did, she slept fitfully. She could not get the image of Bobby out of her mind, Bobby so pale, almost white. Bobby in that white room, hooked up to all those machines; all the white bandages, and a small red trickle of blood seeping through the bandages on his shoulder. _Dear God, please let_ _him be okay…_

* * *

At the hospital, Deakins and Logan alternated sitting with Bobby. To the surprise of both, Chief of Detectives Kenny Moran returned. He in turn, was surprised to see them, but didn't say anything.

"How is he?" the Chief asked.

"Still out," Deakins replied.

"Has he, uh, woken up at all?"

Logan shook his head. "They say he'll be out for a while. They may keep him out for a while, depending on a number of things, including pain."

Moran let out a breath. "So, he hasn't said anything?"

"Little hard to talk when you're unconscious," Deakins said. The Chief thought he detected a little sarcasm there, but thought better of mentioning it.

"Harder yet with a respirator jammed down your throat," Logan said. And there was no doubt about the sarcasm in that statement.

"Listen, Logan," Moran bristled, but very quickly collected himself. "Sorry, I've got a lot on my mind. I lost a police captain and a dear friend tonight. And I have a detective, undoubtedly my best detective, who may be dying."

"Well I can understand that," Deakins said. "There has certainly been a lot of damage done tonight. We're just praying to God that Bobby makes it."

"I'm with you on that," the Chief said. "You know, I prayed tonight, and that's something I haven't done in… probably twenty years."

Logan felt the anger building up. Everyone knew Moran couldn't stand Bobby, and here he was calling him his best detective (which he was, but he would never admit that) and saying that he prayed for Bobby. _Prayed for Bobby!_ Well, that part may be true. Only he was sure that if Moran prayed, it was to insure not that Bobby would live, but that he would die. Not only was this guy a pompous ass, he was a lying sack of shit pompous ass.

"Is he allowed visitors?" Moran asked.

"No," Logan lied.

"Well, maybe I'll just look at him through the window." Without waiting for a reply, he walked up to the window and looked at the prostrate figure of Bobby Goren lying unconscious in the bed. He knew of all Bobby's injuries, and couldn't suppress a smile_. _He stood there for a few minutes, then he turned and walked back to the other two.

"I always heard abdominal injuries were extremely painful," he said. "I sure hope he doesn't suffer much." His tone implied the exact opposite.

Neither Deakins nor Logan knew quite how to respond to that.

"Well, guess I'll be taking off," Moran said. "Give him my best." He left the hospital, hoping to God Bobby wouldn't wake up. That could be very bad for him.

Logan and Deakins looked at each other. "I sure hope he doesn't suffer much" Logan mimicked Moran. "That lying bastard! That's exactly what he hopes does happen!"

Deakins, angry but in control said, "As long as he doesn't harm him physically, which I really don't think even _he'd_ do, he can wish all he wants. Wishing never killed anyone."

"You're right," Logan conceded. "I don't think he'd hurt him, either. Guess I'm just a bit prejudiced against the guy. But you know, there's just something about him…"

Deakins smiled. "You're right, there," he said.

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 7

Rated R for language.

By early morning all the city newspapers had the story: "POLICE CAUGHT IN DEADLY AMBUSH," "COPS CREATE OWN CRIME SCENE," "ONE COP DEAD, ONE CRITICALLY INJURED IN LETHAL ATTACK." And the NYPD had absolutely no leads in this tragedy.

* * *

At his own home, Kenny Moran was on his cell phone early that morning, too. "You goddamn son of a bitch! Your guys fucked it up!"

Other party:_ "I don't see how he survived! The boys said he took at least four fucking bullets!"_

"I don't give a damn if he took _forty_ fucking bullets —HE AIN'T DEAD!"

"_You said he'd be a sitting duck! Sitting ducks __**do not**__ shoot back! My guys had to get out of there; he already winged Joey!" _

Moran forced himself to be calm. "Seems funny to me that a guy who took four bullets could still shoot and get the best of two armed assailants. I wanna know what the fuck happened!"

"_Up yours, Moran. My guys did their job. Ain't my fault your guys hangin' on." _

"Yeah, well we'll talk about that later," Moran growled.

The other guy on the line laughed._ "Cheer up, Moran. There's a good chance that cop could still check out. The papers say he ain't in such good shape anyway. You just better hope it happens _before_ he wakes up. The guys gave him your message." _He laughed again.

Moran felt his blood pressure rising. "Yeah, yeah, okay, question is, what do we do now?"

"_You mean 'what do you do now'? We're done."_

"You fucking son of a bitch!" Moran screamed, no longer bothering to remain calm. "You started this job, you're gonna finish it! And do it right this time!"

"_I told you, we're done. Hell, that cops' just lingering on anyway. Give it a day or two, he ain't gonna make it. But if you're really worried, maybe we can make another deal…"_

"We already had a deal! You mother—"

"_Talk to me when you're ready to deal."_ The other guy hung up.

Moran stared at his phone for a minute, then angrily threw it at the wall.

* * *

After a few fitful hours of sleep, Alex woke up. There was no way she could have slept well anyway. The few minutes of sIeep she did manage were full of images of Bobby and Ross, their bodies bullet riddled and lying in pools of blood. It was better to go without sleep than have pictures of her dead boss and dying partner in her mind. _Dying partner?_ No! She had to stop thinking that way, and imagining the worst. Bobby was going to make it!

She quickly grabbed her phone and called the hospital for an update on Bobby's condition, and was disappointed to hear the words, "no change." The disappointment showed on her face.

"What's wrong, Baby?" her father asked, seeing the expression on her face.

"No change," Alex said miserably.

John breathed easier. "Well, that's not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it might be good."

Alex looked at him doubtfully. "How can that be good? Dad, he's hooked up to all kinds of machines, he can't even breathe on his own."

"Alex, honey, it means he's holding his own. The longer he goes with no problems, the greater the likelihood that he will recover."

Alex thought about that. "I know… I was just hoping…"

"For some kind of a miraculous recovery?" John said. "Alex, I know you want him back to normal as soon as possible, but you have to be realistic. Bobby has gone through a very rough ordeal, and it's going to take quite a while for him to get back to normal. Mentally as well as physically."

Alex smiled a little. "Thanks, Dad. I'm going to go get dressed now."

John watched as she went back to her room. He didn't have the heart to tell her that even if Bobby makes it, there were certain aspects he may never recover from. Being shot four times could have a bad effect on a person's mind. And that leg injury might never heal correctly. There were any number of things that could go wrong. But, they needed to be positive, and concentrate on Bobby just surviving.

As Alex passed Nate's room, the little boy called out. Alex stepped into his room, and sat on his bed next to him. "Is Uncle Bobby better now?" he asked sleepily.

"Not yet, Honey." Alex said, kissing his forehead. Nate frowned, and in typical little boy fashion, he immediately wiped off her kiss.

"Well, when? When I'm sick, Mommy gives me some 'medcine and I get better. Tell them to give Uncle Bobby some 'medcine so's he can get better, too."

"I will," Alex promised. "But the doctor said Uncle Bobby is really, really sick, and it might take a little longer."

"Oh. I hope they don't give him a shot." Nate did not like shots, and was very worried about that with Uncle Bobby. "Don't let them give him a shot, okay?"

"I'll tell the doctors," Alex assured him, giving him another kiss. He promptly wiped it off.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital, Alex and John headed straight for Bobby's room in ICU. Logan and Deakins were sitting right outside; Logan was snoring softly.

Deakins stood up, tapping Logan on the shoulder.

"We're sort of alternating with each other," Deakins said.

Alex nodded. "How is he?" she asked, indicating Bobby.

"Hanging in there," Deakins said.

Alex looked through the window at Bobby's still form. "He's tough," Deakins reminded her.

"I know," Alex replied. "You guys want to go home for a bit? I'll stay here."

"You go, Jimmy," Mike said. "I got a little nap in, I'm good to go."

Deakins didn't argue; he was exhausted. He planned to go to his company and set up a twenty-four hour guard for Bobby, then go home and get a little rest. "Alright, call me if there's any change."

John waited outside with Logan, giving Alex a little time with Bobby. She went into Bobby's room and looked down at him. They were right, there was no change. He looked every bit as pale as he did last night, breathing with the help of a respirator, hooked up to a number of machines. No change at all.

"Hi, Bobby," she whispered. If she was expecting a response, she would be sorely disappointed. Bobby never moved.

She sat down next to him, and gently took his hand, stroking it lightly. The sight of all the machines and tubes unnerved her, and she tried to make her mind go blank. That was virtually impossible, with Bobby lying there in front of her. So she tried to just think of the positive things, working on their cases together, having lunch together during breaks, their phone calls… All the little things. And she really admired him, without his intelligence and intuition in putting those cases together, they'd never have the incredible solve rate they have now. They really were a dream team.

One of the ICU nurses came in, and smiled at her. Alex moved back as the nurse did her examination of Bobby. She checked the surgical incisions and changed the bandages.

Wanting a professional opinion, Alex asked, "How's he doing?"

"Well, his vital signs are looking good," she told Alex. "And so far there's no sign of infection. That's good, very good." Then she checked his IV, and made a few adjustments.

"What about his leg?" Alex asked.

"The doctors will probably work on his leg in a few days. Since the bone was broken by the bullet, it will be a little more complicated. They want him stabilized; and a little more strong."

Alex nodded. The nurse seemed to understand Alex's need to know all about Bobby's condition. "If you have any more questions I'll be in and out all day."

"Thank you," Alex said, sitting back in the chair. She again took Bobby's hand in hers, stroking it, and talking to him softly. She settled in, planning on being there for quite a while.

Still there was no response from Bobby.

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

All Hell Breaks Loose

Chapter 8

R for Language

Bobby's friend Lewis had joined the small group in the hospital who were there for Bobby. He hugged Alex (couldn't help wishing he could meet her again under different circumstances) and shook John and Logan's hands. He went into the room and stared at his best friend, shocked at his appearance. "Jesus Christ Bobby," he whispered aloud, "what the hell did they do to you?" He stood there for about five minutes, just talking to him. He didn't know if Bobby could hear him or understand, but he talked anyway.

A little later, Alex again sat by Bobby's bed. He was so still, she could barely see his chest rising and falling, and that was thanks only to the help of the respirator. If it hadn't been for that respirator, she would have thought he was dead. _No, stop thinking like that!_

She wanted him to wake up so badly. Just to know he was okay. She also wanted to find out who had shot him and Ross, and kill them herself. But that would have to wait. He wouldn't wake up for quite some time. The doctors had told them that, due to the extreme pain Bobby was in, they were going to keep him sedated for a few days. That was discouraging. She was conflicted; she wanted him awake. She needed him to be awake. But she also didn't want Bobby to be in any more pain than he already was.

Bobby lay motionless. He could not move, not even a little finger. He hurt so bad, but could do nothing but lie there and feel it. _Oh God… please… make it stop, _he prayed_. _But God wasn't listening to his prayers. Or wasn't answering him, anyway. His pain wasn't going away. Nothing would make it go away.

_Then wake up,_ he thought. _Wake up!_ He couldn't wake up, and panicked. _Why can't I_ _wake up? What is wrong with me? I… I can't be dead… I can't. God, make it stop… _

Bobby was startled to see a shadow suddenly over him. His late father, or rather the man who raised him, was standing there beside him, looking down at him.

_I never loved you, you know,_ his father told him.

Bobby looked at his dad. _Why, Dad? Why? Why couldn't you love me?_ _Even a little_? _Why? _A single tear worked its way out of his eyes.

His dad stared down at him. There was absolutely no feeling in those eyes. He walked away, seconds later he was gone.

_Dad, no, don't go! Please! Don't go! No! Oh God! _Bobby despaired. He hurt so bad; it was worse than ever. _Make it stop…do anything_…_just make it stop… Dad_…

Holding his hand, talking to him softly, Alex saw that one single tear. "Oh, Bobby… I'm so sorry…" Even sedated, he was in so much pain, they'd told her that much. They could do no more than they were already doing to relieve it. Alex's own tears filled her eyes. She wanted so much to help him, to relieve his pain. And there was still no guarantee he would make it.

Suddenly alarms went off, one after another. Alex jumped up, terrified. "Bobby!"

"He's crashing!" Nurses and doctors ran in, one of them not-so-gently pushed Alex out of the room, someone else brought in a crash cart.

* * *

Alex, her father and Logan huddled together, outside of the ICU room, while Lewis stared through the window. This time, Alex was sure. "He's not going to make it," she sobbed, shaking. Even Logan had tears in his eyes.

John had his doubts now, too. Bobby had been very seriously injured. To have made it this far was a miracle in itself.

"Honey, he's been through so much… "

"He's going to make it," Lewis croaked through the lump in his throat. "You don't know him like I do…"

John put his hand on Lewis' shoulder, and hugged Bobby's best friend. And they waited.

* * *

It seemed like half the doctors and nurses on the floor were working on Bobby. There were so many it was impossible to see Bobby at all, or what they were doing. Someone made a call on one of the phones on the wall. Minutes later, Bobby was quickly wheeled out of the ICU. One of the nurses stayed behind.

She came over to the group.

"What's happening to him?" Alex demanded nervously.

"Well, he had a crisis," the nurse explained. "He's being taken back to surgery."

"Oh no!" Alex gasped. "But why?"

"What happened in there?" John asked.

"They're going to do exploratory surgery. The doctor will explain when we know a little more. We'll keep you informed. It… is serious." She left, feeling horrible. She wanted to prepare them a little, just in case.

"Oh God!" Alex said, turning into her father's shoulder.

"Son of a bitch!" Logan shouted. He looked like he wanted to punch something.

Lewis murmured, to no one in particular. "God, Bobby! What the hell else...?"

* * *

It turned into another waiting game. Certainly no one figured on this today. Alex and John sat on chairs in the waiting room again, while Lewis and Logan paced.

Finally Alex went and picked up one of the magazines lying about. Anything to take her mind off what was happening. She found a "Good Housekeeping" and idly turned the pages, not really knowing what she was looking at. Lewis found a car magazine, and tried to busy himself in that.

Finally Logan said, "I need some coffee. Anyone else?"

Everyone shook their head. He went to the cafeteria, and returned about fifteen minutes later with coffee for them all anyway. They took it gratefully.

The phone rang, and the old volunteer picked it up. "Who?" she repeated into the phone. John nudged Alex to go get the phone; they were the only ones in the surgical waiting room.

"I… I think that's for me," Alex told her, holding out her hand for the phone.

"Are you for a… " the older woman tried to remember…

"Goren?" Alex said, frustrated.

"Yes… that's it… for Goren?"

Alex could barely contain herself; she was so worried, and this wasn't helping. "Yes," she said through gritted teeth.

The woman handed her the phone.

Alex listened for a moment, then turned to the others. "The doctor says they should be finishing things up pretty soon. Bobby's doing well...""

Collectively they let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

About an hour and a half later, a doctor emerged from behind the double doors. It was Doctor Bushe, the same doctor who had operated on Bobby when he was first brought in. He recognized the group, and walked over to them.

He smiled. "Ms. Eames? Well, looks like Robert had a little surprise for us."

Mike scowled. _Get on with it,_ he thought.

"What do you mean?" Alex asked. "Is he going to be alright?"

"Well, he's a lot better now than he was a few hours ago. We opened him up, found a problem, and feel pretty good that the problem has been resolved."

"What was the problem, Doctor?" John asked.

"Well, with all his injuries, it turns out that there was a nick in the spleen which was overlooked in the first surgery. We're assuming one of the bullets somehow nicked it. It went unnoticed, until just a few hours ago."

"And that caused him to crash?" Mike asked skeptically

"Well," the doctor explained. "That little nick was causing him to bleed internally. His abdominal cavity was filling with blood. A few more minutes and we'd have lost him."

"Oh God!," Alex said, covering her mouth.

"Thank God for alarms, huh?" Mike said sarcastically.

The doctor ignored him. "Well at least that problem has been identified and corrected ."

"But, he's gonna be okay now, right Doc?" Lewis asked.

"Of course there are no guarantees…it is still up to him. He's still going to have a rough way to go, but barring any unforeseen problems, and as long as he keeps fighting… well, I'd say he has a better than average chance. He'll be in recovery for a few hours, and we'll let you know when he is back in ICU. This may set him back a bit," the doctor warned. "And one more thing. We've called in a specialist for Robert's leg. We're going to wait to operate, though, until he's a little stronger."

"Thank you, Doctor," John said, nodding his understanding.

"Looks like we're back to square one," Logan said.

As they made their way back to the waiting room, Logan said, "Alex, why don't you call Deakins and let him know what's going on, and I'll call the Chief. They'll both want to know."

Alex nodded.

"And then we're all going to get something to eat," John said. "I'm buying."

Logan and Alex each headed to a place where they could get good cell reception, and Alex called Deakins.

"Jesus Christ! How much more…" Deakins said, shaking his head. After a short conversation, Deakins told her he had arranged for full time security for Bobby. "They'll be there," he looked at his watch, "any minute, actually."

"Thank God!" Alex said, relieved. "At least that's one thing we won't have to worry about."

Logan called the Chief.

"What is it, Logan?" the Chief demanded.

_Shit!_ Logan thought. _Why did I even bother?_ "Chief, I just thought I'd call and tell you that Goren had a set-back today."

The Chief's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?" he asked eagerly. "Is he gonna make it?"

Logan listened to the eagerness in the Chief's voice. He couldn't decide if the Chief was just concerned, or hoping for the worst. _Bastard! _But surely he wasn't hoping for the worst. It was no secret he didn't like Goren, but to wish him dead? Nah, that wasn't it. "Well, barring any complications, it looks fairly good."

_Goddammit!_ the Chief thought. "Okay, Logan. Thanks. Keep me informed. I want to know of any change, good _or_ bad, _immediately!"_

"Yes, sir," Logan replied, a little caustically.

"Watch it, Logan," the Chief growled. Logan hung up.

The Chief was antsy, now, pacing. _What the hell am I gonna do? Son of a bitch! I_ _can't catch a damn break._ Then he grinned. _Well there's still a chance that fucking Goren won't make it. There's gotta be a way to make sure he won't_…

tbc


	9. Chapter 9

My Stories.

Hi. I just wanted to tell you that my story will be delayed for a bit because of a recent tragedy in my life. What has happened has left me totally devastated; it is the worst thing I could ever imagine happening. I promise I will continue, and it will have an ending; I have never left a story unfinished. I'm just not sure when this will be. Thanks for your understanding.


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